Jonathan K. is a qualified Malaysian lawyer with an international law firm background. His practice is focused on commercial disputes and litigation. He earned his Law Degree and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 2012.

Before embarking on his legal career, Jonathan worked at Ernst & Young (EY), an experience that sharpened his understanding of how businesses operate and how financial risk and exposure translates into legal consequences. He then began practicing law at ZUL RAFIQUE & Partners, a well-respected commercial law firm in Kuala Lumpur, where he focused on employment law and dispute resolution.

Before founding Chern & Co., Jonathan served as a foreign lawyer at Tilleke & Gibbins (T&G), a leading international law firm based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Jonathan has advised and acted for clients in a broad range of commercial disputes, including making and resisting injunctive relief applications, shareholder disputes, fraud-related claims, and cross-border commercial matters.

Beyond his disputes practice, Jonathan has also contributed pro bono legal assistance to charitable and social organisations within the region, including advising a Bangkok-based charitable organisation on tax exemption eligibility and regulatory matters, as well as assisting a Vietnam-based social enterprise focused on empowering young women in Southeast Asia in relation to the establishment of an investment fund and the review of its commercial and operational documentation.

In 2024, Jonathan was recognised among the LexisNexis® 40 Under 40, a legal industry award celebrating lawyers with notable potential. In 2025, under his direction, Chern & Co. was named a finalist for Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year at both the Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business (ALB) Malaysia and Southeast Asia Law Awards — two of the region’s leading legal industry awards.

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